If I Die Young
by LightHope1
Summary: The year is 1976. Stefan Salvatore enrolled into Yale University. He meets Norma "Nora" Perry. She is a waitress with the big dream of being a doctor. He's intrigued by her take on the world and how he can change to the animal diet. Summary inside. plz rd
1. Chapter 1

So I was inspired to write this story. Please Review if you would like my to continue :)

-Lighthope1

**The year is 1976. Stefan Salvatore enrolled into the ivy league Yale University. On his way to register, he meets Norma "Nora" Perry. She is a waitress with the big dream of being a doctor. He's intrigued by her take on the world and who she thinks he's capable of being. The start of his "animal diet" forms. Damon Salvatore, on his journey to visit his brother, stubbles upon Maggie's Diner and it changes things.**

**Inspired by the Quote by Damon:**

_**Boy, this country sure has dumbed down in the last hundred years. Why he wants to go to high school is beyond me. I mean in the 70's he went to Ivy League. Harvard I understood. Actually, no. I didn't get that either.**_

**Nora's POV**

It was too hot for a September morning in New England. My hair stuck to the back of my neck and my blue waitress uniform with its white lapel glued onto my body. I was hot, tired and irritable. I had been waiting in line for several hours in hopes to get into medical classes. These light blue go go boots my co worker had offered for me had been a mistake.

I thought being ranked as a junior would actually get me a change into the senior classes. I need them for medical school. I clasped my class card in a death grip as I finally could see the table of courses.

A few minutes later, I reached the table. I handed over my course selection card. A girl of about 20 looked at my name and selection.

"Norma Perry, Junior Level, I can only put you in two of your five requests." said the girl mechanically.

I sighed in defeat and went to grab my card. I knew they had openings but they were for the male students. Even with my grades and recommendations were exceptional, it was not good enough. It was never good enough. Even in Ivy League land.

"There has to be openings." I insisted. _I was not going to leave this table without a fight._

The girl looked at me with a frown. "They are all full. We do have openings in our nursing program."

**Stefan's POV**

_Today, I decided to be human again. I chose the highly respected Yale University. I planned to get a medical engineering degree. I had degrees of the arts and sciences but engineering was something I had not yet accomplished._

A girl with blond hair and wearing a waitress uniform stood in front of me in line. She clasped a course card in her hand in anticipation. I felt her heart beat accelerate as she argued with the girl at the course table. Her frustration began to send my mind and vampire instincts into overdrive.

_I wanted just one bite. Just one taste of her life line would suffice. _

I had to stop my thirst and suffocate myself from feasting in daylight. My only chance was to intrude on the conversation.

"You have got to have more openings." I insisted.

The girl looked down at her paper and shook her head. "There are no openings for anyone."

_I knew better._

The girl in the waitress uniform huffed and babbled on about women's rights and how she wanted to be a doctor and not a nurse.

I leaned over the table. "Sir, please stand back" exclaimed the registration lady.

"Ma'am, please look at your list again. Look for two seats in each class on this girl's course list and enroll us if possible." I said while using my powers of compulsion to command her. My gut said no but something made me want to help this girl in the uniform.

"It's not going to work." The girl in the uniform said. "She already checked twice."

I smirked at the comment. "I think you will be wrong."

The girl at the table smiled at me and said, "I was able to find openings. I did not look at the back pages. Sorry for not catching the error earlier. Have a good day."

She handed the course cards back to me and the waitress girl.

**Nora's POV**

I looked down at the sheet speechless. I had all my courses fulfilled for once in my whole Yale career. It was all thanks to the handsome boy standing to the side of the line with me.

I pushed back a strand of my wavy blond hair. I did not know how to tell him thank you. Being a waitress you would think I had a way with words but rather at this moment I was not able to speak.

He smiled at me. "I am so sorry for not introducing myself. My name is Stefan. Stefan Salvatore."

I swallowed and found myself speaking words. "Thank you for everything you just did for me. My name is Norma Perry. Everyone call me Nora though."

"I guess we have all the same classes this semester." He said while placing his course schedule in leather bound notebook.

I bit my lower lip and caught a glimpse of his wrist watch. _Reality came hurtling back._

"I am going to be late for my shift." I said rather flustered.

He ran his fingers though his hair and asked, "Where do you work?"

"I work at Maggie's Diner when I am not here." I said.

**Stefan's POV**

I watched the spunky Nora go from calm to frantic.

"I have to go Stefan. It was so nice to meet you. I guess I'll see you in class." She said while turning on her heal to walk towards the parking lot.

I half smiled at her disappearing figure. "Maybe Ivy League would help my state of being. So far I had survived my first day. Plus the company wasn't too bad."

_Nora really could rock those go go boots_.


	2. Chapter 2

This story has been a breeze to write. I love Nora and Stefan. Damon will be introduced at a coming point. But for now enjoy this. Please REVIEW :) I was going to wait but I was just to excited.

-Lighthope1

Short Life

**Nora's POV**

"You are late Nora!" hollered Maggie from the back of the diner.

I sighed and went behind the counter to grab an apron. "I got into all of my classes!" I yelled back into the kitchen.

Nikki (our cook) poked his head out of the serving window. "About time our girl got her classes! I say we have a celebration after work!"

I smiled at the old man. Nikki was the best cook Maggie's diner had ever had. He was a good short order cook. You cannot replace a good cook nor a good cup of joe.

Melissa, my co worker who had offered me the go go boots, handed me the coffee server. "Tables 3, 7, and 12 need coffee and the twitchy lady in white wants decaf."

"Did you tell her it would be a while till we get the decaf made?" I asked.

Melissa groaned, "I repeat she's a twitchy lady. Enjoy her while I go out for my smoke break."

"Hey Melissa, don't be gone too long." I hollered as she exited the entrance. Melissa half waved in my direction. _It would be a long thirty minutes._

**A few hours later**

I sat at the counter resting my head in my arms. I was tired. The real tired where your calves are screaming bloody murder and if you hear one more complaint about not having hash browns on the menu today you might consider hurting someone.

I looked over at Melissa, who was a short red head with more energy than should be deemed possible co worker, deal with the twitchy lady. She had occupied the same booth all morning and only ordered refills of decaf coffee.

Melissa turned and gave me a glare of frustration.

I stretched my hand back and hit the red button on the coffee maker to start brewing decaf.

"If Maggie gives the word, you have got to help me get this lady to leave." Melissa said.

I nodded mechanically.

"So you actually got into all of your classes?" Melissa asked as she wrote out another order and placed it on the order spinner.

I smiled. "Yeah, I did. I met a guy too."

She smiled and came to lean on the counter across from me. "Spill the goods Nora. I told you the go go boots would be your answer."

I laughed at Melissa's remark. "His name is Stefan Salvatore. That's all I got besides that he will be in all of my classes."

"So he's a mystery man. Now what are you going to tell Jem?" she asked.

I bit my lower lip. Jem was my boyfriend of about two years. In those two years, we had only been together for six months. He had enlisted and had been overseas for most of our relationship on a military base.

"I am not going to tell Jem. " I said confidently. "He does not tell me about the females he meets overseas. How is that different?"

"I don't get why you're still with Jem. I know he was your boyfriend your first semester at Yale but that was so long ago. It's time for a change." Melissa encouraged.

"Maybe you're right." I said quietly.

"Miss?" echoed the decaf lady. "Is my coffee ready?"

Melissa gave me on last glance and made a cut throat motion before turned with a cheerful smile to the decaf lady. This was going to be a long day; I could feel it both in my legs and mind.

My mind lingered on the thought. _Maybe it was time to give Jem up._

**Stefan's POV**

I felt the warm blood drip down the edge of my mouth. **Satisfaction **was bitter sweet.

I had fallowed my pray for most of the afternoon. He was the scum of the earth; a traveling freak show with a horrible mental problem. He planned to go into the next town and shoot the mayor. This one time I felt like I had helped humanity.

_But why did I still feel so horrible?_

I have never done well with being alone with my thoughts. I was a **prisoner** to my vampire ways.

I called it simply a tormented soul.

But this morning, I had been in the sunlight and smiled for the first time in a long time. It was my humanity's **satisfaction**.

**A few days later: First Day of School**

**Nora's POV**

I ditched the working uniform today. Instead I chose to wear shorts, a blouse with topsiders. My blonde hair was pulled back by a simple burette and some simple makeup. I carried my medical books and wore a sweater around my shoulders.

Dr. Swanson taught my first class. I groaned at the thought of his lab. I knew there would only be about five females in the class. I sat in the middle left row. It would be close enough to hear the teacher but to not be constantly attacked with questions. I had learned that mistake years before.

My breath was taken away as Stefan walked into the classroom. He walked to Dr. Swanson and introduced himself. Something that the doctor was not accustomed to his students doing. I smiled inwardly to Stefan's old fashion ways.

He looked at one auditorium and seemed to find what he was looking for.

In moments I was staring at the charming Salvatore. His eyes were trying to decipher my hazel.

"Hello Norma. May I sit next to you today?" he asked in a cool collect tone.

I nodded. "How are you doing Stefan?"

"Honestly, A bit nervous for this class. I hear Dr. Swanson is tough." He said casually.

I tucked a loose strand of blonde hair behind my ear. "I think if you find a good study partner you would be just fine."

_I was secretly hoping he would ask me but _he remained silent on the topic.

Then class started and I felt **stupid**.

**Stefan POV**

It was too soon to hang out with a human. I was constantly hungry and one false move would cause me to become deadly.

I watched Nora write her notes in perfect cursive. Her features were softened by her look today compared to the waitress uniform from the other day. She looked so fragile yet ready to take on the world.

I had met very few women in my lifetime with that type of inner strength. I had a feeling it would be hard for **my humanity **to not want to know her.

I stared down at my blank notebook. So much for keeping up with the lecture, in the next glance a pencil was on my notebook.

"Be prepared next time Salvatore" she said confidently.

I had a very dark secret that I wanted to hide from everyone including myself. I hated always killing others.

**Nora's POV**

Classes ended for the day and Salvatore and I hit it off well.

I looked at the clock tower on campus and groaned. I wish I hadn't signed up for the night shift at Maggie's but Melissa had to take care of her younger sick sister.

"I got to go Stefan." I said while awkwardly standing in the courtyard.

He smiled, "I guess it's time to go back to Maggie's?"

I nodded. "Sadly I don't get to stay out and go to the ball."

"It was a good day Nora. I'm glad we got to hang out." He said.

"You should come to Maggie's sometime. We make some killer coffee and I know how it's to be a college student. Plus we could study." I said.

"Maybe Nora, I think you should head out." He said while pointing to the parking lot.

"Take cares Stefan." I said while waving to him goodbye.

It was simple between us. Nothing complicated just two students wanting to take on the world. It was refreshing to talk to him. Something that I had missed and didn't find many people to enjoy.

However I felt like he was hold back.

As if only walking on shattered glass, but maybe I was reading into it too much. But I had to say we had only really hung out twice. And I thought I was a good judge of people. _Go figure_.

**_Please REVIEW :)_**


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